ACMBernstein Prospectus December 2009 Global Wealth Strategies > Global Conservative Portfolio > Global Balanced Portfolio > Global Balanced Portfolio () > Global Equity Blend Portfolio > Global Equity Blend Portfolio () > Global Equity Blend, (Hedged) Active Sterling > Global Equity Blend, Active Sterling > Global Equity Blend, Active Equity > Global Growth Trends Portfolio > Global Growth Trends Portfolio () > Global Value Portfolio > Global Value Portfolio () > Global Value, Active Sterling > Global Strategic Value, Active Sterling > Global Strategic Value, Active > Emerging Markets Growth Portfolio > American Equity Blend Portfolio > American Growth Portfolio > American Value Portfolio > pean Growth Portfolio > pean Value Portfolio > pean Strategic Value Portfolio > Asia Ex-Japan Equity Portfolio > Japan Equity Blend Portfolio > Japan Growth Portfolio > Japan Strategic Value Portfolio > Greater China Portfolio > US Strategic Value Portfolio Fixed-Income > Global Bond Portfolio > Global High Yield Portfolio > American Income Portfolio > pean Income Portfolio > Emerging Markets Debt Portfolio > Short Maturity Portfolio The Fund is a mutual investment fund (fonds commun de placement) organized under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
Important Information If you are in any doubt about the contents of this offering document, you should seek independent professional financial advice. Prospective investors should inform themselves as to the legal requirements, exchange control regulations and tax consequences within the countries of their residence and domicile for the acquisition, holding or disposal of shares and any foreign exchange restrictions that may be relevant to them. Shares that are acquired by persons not entitled under the Management Regulations to hold them may be redeemed by the Management Company on behalf of the Fund at the current Net Asset Value. Subscriptions can be made on the basis of this document, which shall be updated by the latest available annual report of the Fund containing its audited accounts, and by the latest semi-annual report, if later than such annual report. Copies of such reports may be requested from an authorized financial advisor or at the registered office of the Management Company. The Shares referred to in this document are offered solely on the basis of the information contained herein and in the reports and documents referred to herein. In connection with the offer made hereby, no person is authorized to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained herein or in the documents referred to herein. If given or made, such information or representations must not be relied upon as having been authorized by the Fund, the Management Company or the Distributor and any purchase made by any person on the basis of statements or representations which are not contained in or which are inconsistent with the information contained herein or in the documents referred to herein shall be solely at the risk of the purchaser. All references herein to (i) "" and to "$" are to the U.S., (ii) "" and " " are to the, (iii) "GBP" and " " are to the Great Britain Pound Sterling, (iv) "" or "S$" are to the Singapore, (v) HKD and HK$ are to the Hong Kong and (vi) "Yen" or " " are to the Japan Yen. None of the Shares has been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Shares may not be offered, sold, transferred or delivered, directly or indirectly, in the United States (as defined in the glossary of defined terms) or to any United States Person (as defined in the glossary of defined terms). The Fund has not been registered under the United States Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. ACMBernstein AllianceBernstein Investments, a unit of the Management Company and/or AllianceBernstein Investments, a unit of AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc., will act as Distributor of the Shares in connection with the offering of the Shares referred to herein. Application forms for Shares are subject to acceptance by the Distributor and the Management Company on behalf of the Fund. Any information contained herein or in any other sales document relating to the Fund or on the ACMBernstein funds website, www.acmbernstein.com, does not constitute an offer or solicitation by anyone in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is not lawful or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to anyone to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation. In particular, the information in the ACMBernstein funds website is not for distribution in the United States or to United States Persons other than in accordance with the laws of the United States. If a prospective investor has accessed the ACMBernstein funds website from another website, the Fund, the Management Company and the Distributor are not responsible for the accuracy of information contained within the websites of other providers which have links to any page of the ACMBernstein funds website. Investors in Shares acknowledge and agree that certain data relating to them and their holdings in Shares will be stored and utilized by the Transfer Agent to facilitate subscriptions, payment of distributions, if any, redemptions and exchanges, as well as certain other activities relating to investors' holdings in Shares, and in connection therewith such data, subject to applicable law and regulation, may be disseminated to certain of the Transfer Agent's affiliates within the AllianceBernstein Group as well as certain authorized agents of the Transfer Agent or the Fund. Such use may involve the transfer of that data to countries outside the EEA. Copies of the Fund's Prospectus, Management Regulations, latest annual report and, if issued thereafter, the latest semi-annual report, as well as copies of the Simplified Prospectus of each Portfolio of the Fund, may be obtained at the office of the Management Company and the Distributor without cost. AllianceBernstein, ACMBernstein, and the AB logo are registered trademarks and service marks used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P. ii
Contents Section I: Portfolio Details Specific information on each portfolio of the Fund and its classes of shares, including investment objective and policies, summary information, and other portfolio information Information on the Portfolios Global Wealth Strategies Global Conservative Portfolio... I-1 Global Balanced Portfolio... I-5 Global Balanced Portfolio ()... I-9 Global Equity Blend Portfolio Global Equity Blend Portfolio ()... I-14 Global Equity Blend, (Hedged) Active Sterling... I-19 Global Equity Blend, Active Sterling... I-23 Global Equity Blend, Active... I-27 Equity Global Growth Trends Portfolio Global Growth Trends Portfolio ()... I-31 Global Value Portfolio Global Value Portfolio ()... I-35 Global Value, Active Sterling... I-39 Global Strategic Value, Active Sterling... I-43 Global Strategic Value, Active... I-47 Emerging Markets Growth Portfolio... I-51 American Equity Blend Portfolio... I-56 American Growth Portfolio... I-61 American Value Portfolio... I-65 pean Growth Portfolio... I-69 pean Value Portfolio... I-73 pean Strategic Value Portfolio... I-77 Asia Ex-Japan Equity Portfolio... I-81 Japan Equity Blend Portfolio... I-86 Japan Growth Portfolio... I-91 Japan Strategic Value Portfolio... I-95 Greater China Portfolio... I-99 US Strategic Value Portfolio... I-103 Fixed-Income Global Bond Portfolio... I-106 Global High Yield Portfolio... I-111 American Income Portfolio... I-117 pean Income Portfolio... I-122 Emerging Markets Debt Portfolio... I-126 Short Maturity Portfolio... I-131 Section II: Core Information General information on the Fund and the portfolios The Fund... II-1 How to Purchase Shares... II-2 How to Redeem Shares... II-5 How to Exchange or Convert Shares... II-6 Investment Types... II-7 Risk Factors and Special Considerations... II-18 Meetings and Reports to Shareholders... II-28 Management and Administration... II-29 Additional Information... II-31 Local Information... II-38 Appendix A: Investment Restrictions... II-40 Appendix B: Excessive and Short-Term Trading Policy and Procedures... II-45 Appendix C: Financial Derivative Instruments... II-47 Directory iii
Important Considerations The Fund is structured as an "umbrella fund" comprising separate pools of assets (each a "Portfolio"). Investors should reference Section I to determine the particular portfolios to which this Prospectus relates and read these "Important Considerations" with particular attention to those important considerations which pertain to the underlying investments of each such portfolio. In addition, investors should read carefully the "Risk Profile" set out in Section I relating to each portfolio, as well as "Risk Factors and Special Considerations" in Section II. The value of Shares of the portfolios to which this Prospectus relates will change with the value of such portfolios' underlying investments. Hence, the value of Shares and any income arising from them will fluctuate and is not guaranteed. Consequently, investors may not get back the full amount of their investment upon redemption. For any portfolio that invests in stocks, the value of underlying investments may fluctuate, sometimes dramatically, in response to the activities and results of individual companies or because of general market or economic conditions. For any portfolio that invests in fixed-income securities, the value of the underlying investments will depend generally upon interest rates and the credit quality of the issuer as well as general market or economic conditions. For any portfolio that invests in fixed-income securities, the value of the shares of such portfolio and any income arising from such shares will change in response to fluctuations in interest rates and currency exchange rates. A portfolio may invest in high yielding securities where the risk of depreciation and realization of capital losses on some of the securities held will be unavoidable. In addition, medium- and lower-rated securities and unrated securities of comparable quality may be subject to wider fluctuations in yield and market values than higher-rated securities. Any portfolio which invests in essentially only one country will have greater exposure to market, political and economic risks of that country. Any portfolio which invests in multiple countries will have less exposure to the risks of any one country, but will be exposed to risks in a larger number of countries. Many of the underlying investments of a particular portfolio may be denominated in different currencies than that of the particular portfolio. This means currency movements in underlying investments may significantly affect the value of any such portfolio's share prices. In addition, a particular portfolio may invest, in whole or in part, in emerging markets securities to the extent permitted by such portfolio's stated investment objective and policies. Investors should appreciate that these securities may be more volatile than securities issued by issuers located in more developed markets. As a result, there may be a greater risk of price fluctuation and of the suspension of redemptions in such portfolios, compared with a portfolio investing in more mature markets. This volatility may stem from political and economic factors, and may be exacerbated by legal, trading liquidity, settlement, transfer of securities and currency factors. Some emerging market countries have relatively prosperous economies but may be sensitive to world commodity prices. Others are especially vulnerable to economic conditions in other countries. Although care is taken to understand and manage these risks, the respective portfolios and their Shareholders ultimately bear the risks associated with investing in these markets. A particular portfolio may use various techniques for hedging against market risks. These techniques and the instruments used are described in Appendix A to Section II. In addition, a particular portfolio may make ancillary use of these techniques and instruments for the purpose of efficient portfolio management. Investors are encouraged to consult their independent financial advisors regarding the suitability of shares of a particular portfolio for their investment needs. iv
Glossary of Defined Terms ACMBernstein funds means the collective investment undertakings distributed under the service mark "ACMBernstein" and sponsored by AllianceBernstein L.P. ACMBernstein funds account means a notional account established by the Management Company or the Transfer Agent for each Shareholder and reflecting all his or her shareholdings in ACMBernstein funds Administration Agreement means the agreement between the Management Company and the Administrator Administrator means Brown Brothers Harriman (Luxembourg) S.C.A. ADRs means American Depositary Receipts AllianceBernstein Group means AllianceBernstein L.P. and its subsidiaries and affiliates Business Day means any day on which banks are open in Luxembourg and, if applicable, any additional location designated in the relevant part of Section I relating to a specific portfolio CDSC Shares means Shares possessing a contingent deferred sales charge Currency of the Portfolio means the base currency of a portfolio in which its accounting records are kept as indicated under "Summary Information" in Section I with respect to that portfolio Custodian means Brown Brothers Harriman (Luxembourg) S.C.A. Custodian Agreement means the agreement between the Management Company and the Custodian dealer means, as the context requires, broker-dealers, banks, registered investment advisers, independent financial advisers and other financial intermediaries with whom the Distributor has agreements Distribution Agreements means the relevant agreements between the Management Company and the Distributor relating to each of the portfolios Distributor means AllianceBernstein Investments, a unit of the Management Company and/or AllianceBernstein Investments, a unit of AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. EDRs means pean Depositary Receipts EEA means member states of the EU and Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein EU means the pean Union Fund means ACMBernstein, a mutual investment fund (fonds commun de placement) organized under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, which conducts business outside of Germany, Austria and Switzerland under the name AllianceBernstein GDRs means Global Depositary Receipts Interested Party means the Investment Manager or its affiliates (which includes the Management Company) Investment Grade means fixed-income securities rated Baa (including Baa1, Baa2 and Baa3) or higher by Moody's or BBB (including BBB+ and BBB-) or higher by S&P, or the equivalent thereof by at least one IRSO Investment Management Agreement means the agreement between the Management Company and the Investment Manager relating to each portfolio Investment Manager means AllianceBernstein L.P., a Delaware limited partnership IRS means the United States Internal Revenue Service IRSO means an internationally recognized statistical ratings organization Management Company means AllianceBernstein (Luxembourg) S.A., a société anonyme organized under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg v Management Regulations means the latest version of the Management Regulations of the Fund Mémorial means the Mémorial C, Recueil des Sociétés et Associations Moody's means Moody's Investors Services, Inc. Net Asset Value means the value of the total assets of a portfolio less the total liabilities of such portfolio as described under "Determination of the Net Asset Value of Shares" in Section II OECD means the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Offered Currency means, for a portfolio, each currency in which the Shares are offered, as indicated under "Summary Information" in Section I with respect to that portfolio Order Cut-off Time means point in time by which orders for purchase, exchange, or redemption must be received on each Business Day, which is 4:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time or otherwise as indicated under "Summary Information" in Section I with respect to a portfolio OTC means over the counter Portfolio means the portfolio(s) of the Fund identified in Section I hereof (or in a subsection of Section I as the context requires) portfolio means one or more portfolios of the Fund as the context requires Prospectus means this version of the Prospectus of the Fund S&P means Standard & Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Shareholders means the owners of Shares, as reflected in the shareholder register of the Fund, in respect of one or more portfolios, as the context requires Shares means shares of the Fund of whatever class and whatever portfolio Simplified Prospectus means the Simplified Prospectus of any portfolio total assets means total net assets of the Portfolio as the context requires Trade Date means the Business Day as of which any transaction in Shares (purchase, redemption or exchange) for a portfolio is recorded in the Shareholder register of the Fund, in respect of one or more portfolios, as the context requires, as having been accepted Transfer Agent means the Management Company or AllianceBernstein Investor Services, a unit of the Management Company, the Fund's registrar and transfer agent UCITS means an open-end mutual investment fund or investment company qualifying as an undertaking for collective investment in transferable securities United States means the United States of America or any of its territories or possessions or any area subject to its jurisdiction, including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico United States Person has the same meaning as the term "U.S. Person," as that term is defined in Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and includes, among others, any natural person resident in the United States, any partnership, corporation or other entity organized or incorporated under the laws of the United States, any estate of which any executor or administrator is a U.S. person, any trust of which any trustee is a U.S. person, and any agency or branch of a foreign entity located in the United States Valuation Point means the point in time at which the Net Asset Value per Share is calculated with respect to a Trade Date, being 4:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern time on each Business Day
Global Wealth Strategies ACMBernstein Global Conservative Portfolio Investment Objective and Policies Investment Objective The Portfolio seeks to achieve a high total return without, in the opinion of the Investment Manager, undue risk to principal. The Portfolio invests in a global portfolio of equity and fixed-income securities designed as a solution for investors who seek portfolio volatility similar to that of fixed-income securities, yet also wish to pursue some opportunities for equity returns if the related risks are broadly diversified. The Portfolio targets a weighting of 30% equity securities and 70% fixed-income securities with a goal of providing reduced volatility and modest upside potential. In managing the Portfolio, the Investment Manager efficiently diversifies between the fixed-income and equity components to produce the desired risk/return profile. Normally, the Portfolio targets a 30% weighting for equity securities and a 70% weighting for fixed-income securities. The Investment Manager will allow the relative weightings of the Portfolio's equity component to vary in response to markets, but ordinarily only within a range of +/- 5% of that component. Beyond this range, the Investment Manager will generally rebalance the portfolio toward the targeted allocation. However, under extraordinary circumstances, when the Investment Manager believes that conditions favoring one or the other investment are compelling, the range may expand to +/- 10% of the Portfolio before rebalancing occurs. The Portfolio's equity component is diversified between growth and value equity investment styles. The Investment Manager selects growth and value equity securities by drawing from a variety of its fundamental growth and value investment disciplines to produce a blended equity component. The Investment Manager's targeted allocation for the Portfolio's equity component is an equal weighting of 50% growth stocks and 50% value stocks. The Investment Manager will also allow the relative weightings of the growth and value subcomponents to vary in response to markets, but ordinarily only within a range of +/- 5% of that component. Beyond this range, the Investment Manager will generally rebalance the Portfolio's equity component toward the targeted allocation. However, under extraordinary circumstances, when conditions favoring one investment style are compelling, the range may expand +/- 10% of the Portfolio before rebalancing occurs. Description of Investment Disciplines and Processes Global Fixed Income. The Portfolio may purchase debt obligations issued by sovereign or other governmental or municipal entities, including, but not limited to, governmental agencies and instrumentalities (collectively, "governmental entities"), as well as debt obligations issued or guaranteed by various organizations or entities established generally to promote global, regional or country-specific economic reconstruction or development (collectively, "supranational entities"). In addition, the Portfolio may purchase debt obligations of companies or other entities. Securities held by the Portfolio will possess upon initial purchase an Investment Grade credit rating or will be determined by the Investment Manager to be of comparable quality. In the event a particular security is assigned a credit rating that is lower than Investment Grade or ceases to be rated, the Investment Manager promptly will reassess whether the Portfolio should continue to hold such security. The Portfolio normally will dispose I-1 of any such non-investment Grade or unrated security, unless (i) the Investment Manager determines that for the time being it is not in the best interest of the Portfolio to do so and (ii) aggregate non-investment Grade securities do not exceed 5% of the Portfolio's net assets. The Portfolio will normally invest no more than 25% of its net assets in convertible bonds and no more than 30% of its net assets in money market instruments. The Investment Manager seeks to reduce the risks inherent in the Portfolio's investment in fixed-income securities through diversification, in its discretion, and the Investment Manager's internal credit and economic analysis resources, as well as information obtained from other sources. With respect to sovereign or other governmental issuers of debt obligations in which the Portfolio invests, the Investment Manager considers the financial position of the issuer and political and economic conditions in the relevant country. Investment in debt obligations issued or guaranteed by supranational entities is subject to the additional risk that member governments may fail to make required or regular capital contributions and that a supranational entity thus may be unable to fulfill its obligations. With respect to corporate issuers of debt obligations in which the Portfolio invest, the Investment Manager considers the financial condition of the issuer and market and economic conditions relevant to its operations. The Investment Manager's analysis focuses on relative values based on such factors, for example, as interest coverage, asset coverage, earnings prospects and the experience and managerial strength of each such issuer. As a general matter, in evaluating investments, the Investment Manager will consider, among other factors, the relative levels of interest rates prevailing in various countries and the potential appreciation of such investments in their denominated currencies. In seeking capital appreciation, the Portfolio may invest in relatively low-yielding securities in expectation of favorable currency fluctuations or interest rate movements, thereby potentially reducing the Portfolio's yield. In seeking income, the Portfolio may invest in short-term securities with relatively high yields (as compared to other debt securities) meeting the Portfolio's investment criteria, thereby potentially reducing the Portfolio's capital appreciation. In addition, the Portfolio may invest in debt obligations denominated in the currency of one country although issued by a governmental entity, corporation or financial institution of another country. For example, the Portfolio may invest in a Yen-denominated obligation issued by a German corporation. Such investments involve credit risks associated with the issuer as well as currency risks associated with the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The average maturity of the Portfolio's holdings will vary based upon the Investment Manager's assessment of economic and market conditions. As with all fixed-income securities, changes in interest rates will affect the Portfolio's Net Asset Value as the prices of portfolio securities generally increase when interest rates decline and decrease
ACMBernstein Global Conservative Portfolio when interest rates rise. Prices of longer-term securities generally fluctuate more in response to interest rate changes than do shorter-term securities. Global Growth. The Portfolio's growth stocks are selected using the Investment Manager's growth investment discipline. The growth investment team selects stocks using a process that seeks to identify companies with superior earnings growth prospects. This discipline relies heavily upon the fundamental analysis and research of the Investment Manager's large internal growth research staff of approximately 70 dedicated growth analysts, which follows approximately 1,400 companies. The Investment Manager places research emphasis on identifying companies whose substantially above-average prospective earnings growth potential appears likely to outpace market expectations. The Portfolio's total net assets invested in global equity securities utilizing the Investment Manager's Global Growth investment discipline will be allocated by the Investment Manager among various industry sectors determined by the Investment Manager to possess superior growth potential, each such industry sector designated a "subportfolio." The individual global equity securities represented by a subportfolio relating to a particular industry sector will be selected by the Investment Manager's in-house research specialist(s) responsible for that particular industry sector. The current subportfolios designated by the Investment Manager in conjunction with the Investment Manager's Global Growth investment discipline are as follows: (1) information technology, (2) health care, (3) finance, (4) infrastructure, (5) energy and natural resources and (6) consumer growth. The percentage of the Portfolio's total net assets allocated to any one subportfolio will depend upon the Investment Manager's assessment of current and forecasted investment opportunities and conditions. The Investment Manager's Global Growth Strategy Oversight Group may (i) redesignate or alter the criteria relating to an existing subportfolio as a particular industry sector's growth potential fluctuates, (ii) retire an existing subportfolio as the growth potential of the relevant industry sector decreases or (iii) establish a new subportfolio as the growth potential of a new or different industry sector increases. Global Value. The Portfolio's value stocks are selected using the fundamental value investment discipline of the Investment Manager's Bernstein Unit. In selecting stocks, the Investment Manager's value investment teams seek to identify companies whose long-term earning power and dividend paying capability are not reflected in the current market price of their securities. This fundamental value discipline relies heavily upon the Investment Manager's large internal value research staff, which follows over 2,700 companies. Teams within the value research staff cover a given industry worldwide, to better understand each company's competitive position in a global context. The Investment Manager's staff of approximately 70 dedicated value analysts prepares its own earnings estimates and financial models for each company analyzed. The Investment Manager identifies and quantifies the critical variables that control a business's performance and analyzes the results in order to forecast each company's long-term prospects and expected returns. Investment Manager believes that, over time, a company's stock price will come to reflect its intrinsic economic value. The Investment Manager's fundamental value approach to equity investing generally defines value by reference to the relationship between a security's current price and its intrinsic economic value as measured by long-term earnings prospects. In each market, this approach seeks to identify a universe of securities that are considered to be undervalued because they are attractively priced relative to their future earnings power. Accordingly, forecasting corporate earnings and dividend-paying capability is the heart of the fundamental approach. Securities of companies in any industry, country or region can become mispriced, and the Investment Manager will seek to exploit all such opportunities when selecting securities for the Portfolio. Other Investment Policies The Portfolio is not subject to any limitation on the portion of its total assets that may be invested in any one country or region. The Portfolio intends to spread investment risk and expects to invest in equity securities of issuers domiciled in developed countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, the United States and the developed nations in pe and Asia. The Portfolio will be permitted to invest in securities of issuers domiciled, or with significant operations, in other countries, including emerging market countries. The Portfolio's investments in securities of issuers domiciled in emerging market countries are not expected to exceed 30% of the Portfolio's net assets. The Investment Manager, in its discretion, will determine which countries constitute "emerging market countries." In general, emerging market countries will be countries considered by the global financial community to be developing countries, including countries from time to time included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index SM, a free float-adjusted market capitalization index designed to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets. The Investment Manager's determination of which countries constitute emerging market countries may change from time to time. As a temporary defensive measure or to provide for redemptions, the Portfolio may, without limit, hold cash, cash equivalents, or short-term fixed-income obligations, including money market instruments. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities for which there is no ready market. See paragraph (5) of "Investment Restrictions" in Appendix A to Section II. The Portfolio may therefore not be readily able to sell such securities. Moreover, there may be contractual restrictions on the resale of such securities. Efficient portfolio management and hedging techniques may include use of exchange-traded and OTC derivative instruments, including swaps, options, futures and currency transactions. The "Value" investment discipline attempts to identify securities that are undervalued using a disciplined fundamental value approach. The I-2
Summary Information Portfolio Features Recommended Long-term Investment Horizon Currency of the Portfolio Net Asset Value Each Business Day Calculation Net Asset Value www.acmbernstein.com, Financial Times, The Wall Street Publication Journal Asia and The Wall Street Journal pe Share Class Fees and Charges 1 Distributions ACMBernstein Global Conservative Portfolio For class A, B, C and I shares To be declared and payable quarterly For class A2, B2 and C2 shares None. See "Distributions" below. Initial Sales Charge 3 Management Fee 4 Distribution Fee 5 Charge 6 Contingent Deferred Sales Class A and A2 Shares Up to 6.25% 1.15% None None Class B and B2 Shares 2 None 1.15% 1.00% 0 1 years held=3.0% 1 2 yrs=2.0% 2 3 yrs=1.0% 3+ yrs=0% Class C and C2 Shares None 1.60% None 0 1 year held=1.0% thereafter 0% Class I Shares None 0.60% None None 1 The Management Company, Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent are entitled to receive, out of the assets of the Portfolio, fees as described under "Other Portfolio Information Management Company, Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent Fees" below. The Portfolio also bears all of its other expenses. See "How to Purchase Shares" and "Additional Information Fees and Expenses" in Section II. The Management Company has voluntarily undertaken, until the Management Company on behalf of the Fund notifies Shareholders to the contrary, that if, in any fiscal year, the aggregate fees and expenses with respect to the following share classes of the Portfolio (including any management fee and all other fees and expenses set out in "Additional Information Fees and Expenses" in Section II, including Luxembourg Taxe d'abonnement but exclusive of certain other taxes, brokerage (if applicable) and interest on borrowings) exceed the following percentages of the Portfolio's average Net Asset Value for the fiscal year attributable to the Portfolio's class A, A2, B, B2, C, C2 and I shares, respectively: 1.65%, 1.65%, 2.65%, 2.65%, 2.10%, 2.10% and 1.10%, the Fund may deduct from the payment to be made to the Management Company, or the Management Company will otherwise bear, such excess fees and expenses. 2 Commencing 1 July 2007, after four years from the date of purchase, class B and B2 Shareholders will have the right to request a conversion to class A and A2 shares, respectively, without charge from either the Fund or the Management Company. For further details on the conversion right, please refer to "How to Exchange or Convert Shares Conversion of CDSC Shares" in Section II of the Prospectus. 3 As a percentage of purchase price. 4 As an annual percentage of average daily Net Asset Value. With respect to certain share classes, the management fee may also include a component that is paid to distributors or other financial intermediaries and service providers. For further details on the management fee, please refer to "Additional Information Fees and Expenses" in Section II. 5 As an annual percentage of average daily Net Asset Value. 6 As a percentage of the lesser of the current Net Asset Value or original cost of the Shares being redeemed and based upon the duration that such Shares are held. CDSC Shares may only be purchased through a dealer authorized by the Distributor to offer such shares. Those investors considering an investment in CDSC Shares should speak with their financial advisor for details. With respect to class C and C2 shares, a dealer may elect to waive the contingent deferred sales charge in certain circumstances. Other Share Class Features Class A and A2 Shares Class B and B2 Shares Class C and C2 Shares Class I Shares Offered Currencies Minimum Initial Investment* $2,000 2,000 S$3,000 $2,000 2,000 S$3,000 $2,000 2,000 S$3,000 $1 million 1 million** S$1.5 million Minimum Subsequent Investment* $750 750 S$1,000 $750 750 S$1,000 $750 750 S$1,000 Maximum Investment** Luxembourg Taxe d'abonnement*** None 0.05% $250,000 250,000 S$350,000 0.05% None 0.05% None None 0.05% * Does not apply to automatic investment plans, where offered. ** May be waived by the Management Company in its sole discretion. *** Annual Luxembourg tax payable quarterly by each portfolio. I-3
ACMBernstein Global Conservative Portfolio Other Portfolio Information Principal Investment Types For a chart summarizing the principal types of investments used by the Portfolio and a description of securities and other instruments in which the Portfolio may invest, investors should refer to "Investment Types" in Section II beginning on page II-6. The ability of the Portfolio to invest in any securities or instruments is subject to the restrictions in the Portfolio's stated investment objective and policies and the limitations contained in "Investment Restrictions" in Appendix A to Section II. Risk Profile Fixed-income securities in which the Portfolio will invest are subject to the credit risk of the private and public institutions offering these securities and their market value is influenced by changes in interest rates. The Portfolio's fixed-income securities investments will generally be of Investment Grade or equivalent quality. There can be no assurance that any distribution payments will occur and the Portfolio has no specific maturity. Equity investments of the Portfolio are subject to higher risks inherent in equity investments. In general, the value of equity investments may fluctuate, sometimes dramatically, in response to the activities and results of individual companies or because of general market, economic, political and natural conditions that are difficult to predict. Such factors include the possibility of sudden or prolonged market declines and risks associated with individual companies. Historically, equity securities have provided greater long-term returns and have entailed greater short-term risks than other investment choices. The Portfolio is subject to market, interest rate and currency fluctuations and to other risks inherent in investing in securities. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the investment objective will be achieved, that invested capital will be preserved, or that capital appreciation will occur. Investment results may vary substantially on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. An investment in the Portfolio does not represent a complete investment program. For a chart summarizing the principal risks of the Portfolio and a more detailed discussion of these and other risks applicable to the Portfolio, investors should refer to "Risk Factors and Special Considerations" in Section II beginning on page II-17, in particular Country Risk General, Country Risk Emerging Markets, Currency Risk, Illiquid Assets Risk, Allocation Risk, Turnover Risk, Management Risk, Lack of Operating History Risk, Derivatives Risk, Borrowing Risk, Taxation Risk, Equity Securities Risk, Fixed-Income Securities Risk General, Fixed-Income Securities Risk Interest Rates, Fixed-Income Securities Risk Prepayment, Credit Risk Sovereign Debt Obligations and Credit Risk Corporate Debt Obligations. Profile of the Typical Investor The Portfolio will suit medium-to-higher risk-tolerant investors seeking the longer-term rewards of fixed-income and equity investment. Investors are encouraged to consult their independent financial advisors regarding the suitability of Shares of the Portfolio for their investment needs. Distributions For class A, B, C and I shares, the Management Company intends to declare and pay quarterly dividends equal to all or substantially all of the Portfolio's net income attributable to each class of Shares. To the extent the net income and net realized profits attributable to these Shares exceed the amount declared payable, the excess return will be reflected in the respective Net Asset Value of such Shares. Dividends may be automatically reinvested at the election of the Shareholder. For class A2, B2 and C2 shares, the Management Company currently does not intend to pay dividends with respect to the Shares. Therefore, any net income and net realized profits attributable to the Shares will be reflected in the respective Net Asset Value of the Shares. Management Company, Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent Fees The Management Company is paid an annual fee out of the assets of the Portfolio on the aggregate Net Asset Value attributable to the Shares equal to 0.10% of average daily Net Asset Value. The Administrator fee, Custodian fee and Transfer Agent fee for the Portfolio are paid out of the assets of the Portfolio in accordance with the usual practice in Luxembourg. As of 31 August 2008, the annualized amounts expressed as a percentage of average daily Net Asset Value of the Portfolio of the Administrator fee, Custodian fee and Transfer Agent fee were 0.07%, 0.04% and 0.15% (due to a temporary waiver in place until either certain minimum asset levels are reached or a negotiated grace period expires), respectively. These fees may decrease or increase depending on the assets of the Portfolio and transaction volume or for other reasons. Organizational Expenses The Portfolio has no unamortized organizational expenses Historical Performance Information on the historical performance of the Portfolio may be found in the Portfolio's Simplified Prospectus and at www.acmbernstein.com. History The Portfolio was established as a portfolio of the Fund on 2 November 2004. I-4
ACMBernstein Global Balanced Portfolio Investment Objective and Policies Investment Objective The Portfolio seeks to achieve the highest total return consistent with the Investment Manager's determination of reasonable risk. The Portfolio invests in a global portfolio of equity and fixed-income securities designed as a solution for investors who seek a moderate tilt toward equity returns but also want the risk diversification offered by fixed-income securities and the broad diversification of their equity risk across styles and geographic regions. The Portfolio targets a weighting of 60% equity securities and 40% fixed-income securities with a goal of providing moderate upside potential without excessive volatility. In managing the Portfolio, the Investment Manager seeks to efficiently diversify between the equity and fixed-income components to produce the desired risk/return profile. Normally, the Portfolio targets a 60% weighting for equity securities and a 40% weighting for fixed-income securities. The Investment Manager will allow the relative weightings of the Portfolio's equity and fixed-income components to vary in response to markets, but ordinarily only within a range of +/- 5% of each component. Beyond those ranges, the Investment Manager will generally rebalance the Portfolio toward the targeted allocation. However, under extraordinary circumstances, when the Investment Manager believes that conditions favoring one or the other investment are compelling, the ranges may expand to +/- 10% of the Portfolio before rebalancing occurs. The Portfolio's equity component is diversified between growth and value equity investment styles. The Investment Manager selects growth and value equity securities by drawing from a variety of its fundamental growth and value investment disciplines to produce a blended equity component. The Investment Manager's targeted allocation for the Portfolio's equity component is an equal weighting of 50% growth stocks and 50% value stocks. The Investment Manager will also allow the relative weightings of the growth and value subcomponents to vary in response to markets, but ordinarily only within a range of +/- 5% of that component. Beyond those ranges, the Investment Manager will generally rebalance the Portfolio's equity component toward the targeted allocation. However, under extraordinary circumstances, when conditions favoring one or the other investment are compelling, the range may expand to +/- 10% of the Portfolio before rebalancing occurs. Description of Investment Disciplines and Processes Global Fixed Income. The Portfolio may purchase debt obligations issued by sovereign or other governmental or municipal entities, including, but not limited to, governmental agencies and instrumentalities (collectively, "governmental entities"), as well as debt obligations issued or guaranteed by various organizations or entities established generally to promote global, regional or country-specific economic reconstruction or development (collectively, "supranational entities"). In addition, the Portfolio may purchase debt obligations of companies or other entities. Securities held by the Portfolio will possess upon initial purchase an Investment Grade credit rating or will be determined by the Investment Manager to be of comparable quality. In the event a particular security is assigned a credit rating that is lower than Investment Grade or ceases to be rated, the Investment Manager promptly will reassess whether the Portfolio should continue to hold such security. The Portfolio normally will dispose of any such non-investment Grade or unrated security, unless (i) the Investment Manager determines that for the time being it is not in the best interest of the Portfolio to do so and (ii) aggregate non-investment Grade securities do not exceed 5% of the Portfolio's net assets. The Portfolio will normally invest no more than 25% of its net assets in convertible bonds and no more than 30% of its net assets in money market instruments. The Investment Manager seeks to reduce the risks inherent in the Portfolio's investment in fixed-income securities through diversification, in its discretion, and the Investment Manager's internal credit and economic analysis resources, as well as information obtained from other sources. With respect to sovereign or other governmental issuers of debt obligations in which the Portfolio invests, the Investment Manager considers the financial position of the issuer and political and economic conditions in the relevant country. Investment in debt obligations issued or guaranteed by supranational entities is subject to the additional risk that member governments may fail to make required or regular capital contributions and that a supranational entity thus may be unable to fulfill its obligations. With respect to corporate issuers of debt obligations in which the Portfolio invest, the Investment Manager considers the financial condition of the issuer and market and economic conditions relevant to its operations. The Investment Manager's analysis focuses on relative values based on such factors, for example, as interest coverage, asset coverage, earnings prospects and the experience and managerial strength of each such issuer. As a general matter, in evaluating investments, the Investment Manager will consider, among other factors, the relative levels of interest rates prevailing in various countries and the potential appreciation of such investments in their denominated currencies. In seeking capital appreciation, the Portfolio may invest in relatively low-yielding securities in expectation of favorable currency fluctuations or interest rate movements, thereby potentially reducing the Portfolio's yield. In seeking income, the Portfolio may invest in short-term securities with relatively high yields (as compared to other debt securities) meeting the Portfolio's investment criteria, thereby potentially reducing the Portfolio's capital appreciation. In addition, the Portfolio may invest in debt obligations denominated in the currency of one country although issued by a governmental entity, corporation or financial institution of another country. For example, the Portfolio may invest in a Yen-denominated obligation issued by a German corporation. Such investments involve credit risks associated with the issuer as well as currency risks associated with the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The average maturity of the Portfolio's holdings will vary based upon the Investment Manager's assessment of economic and market conditions. As with all fixed-income securities, changes in interest rates will affect the Portfolio's Net Asset Value as the prices of portfolio securities generally increase when interest rates decline and decrease I-5
ACMBernstein Global Balanced Portfolio when interest rates rise. Prices of longer-term securities generally fluctuate more in response to interest rate changes than do shorter-term securities. Global Growth. The Portfolio's growth stocks are selected using the Investment Manager's growth investment discipline. The growth investment team selects stocks using a process that seeks to identify companies with superior earnings growth prospects. This discipline relies heavily upon the fundamental analysis and research of the Investment Manager's large internal growth research staff of approximately 70 dedicated growth analysts, which follows approximately 1,400 companies. The Investment Manager places research emphasis on identifying companies whose substantially above-average prospective earnings growth potential appears likely to outpace market expectations. The Portfolio's total net assets invested in global equity securities utilizing the Investment Manager's Global Growth investment discipline will be allocated by the Investment Manager among various industry sectors determined by the Investment Manager to possess superior growth potential, each such industry sector designated a "subportfolio." The individual global equity securities represented by a subportfolio relating to a particular industry sector will be selected by the Investment Manager's in-house research specialist(s) responsible for that particular industry sector. The current subportfolios designated by the Investment Manager in conjunction with the Investment Manager's Global Growth investment discipline are as follows: (1) information technology, (2) health care, (3) finance, (4) infrastructure, (5) energy and natural resources and (6) consumer growth. The percentage of the Portfolio's total net assets allocated to any one subportfolio will depend upon the Investment Manager's assessment of current and forecasted investment opportunities and conditions. The Investment Manager's Global Growth Strategy Oversight Group may (i) redesignate or alter the criteria relating to an existing subportfolio as a particular industry sector's growth potential fluctuates, (ii) retire an existing subportfolio as the growth potential of the relevant industry sector decreases or (iii) establish a new subportfolio as the growth potential of a new or different industry sector increases. Global Value. The Portfolio's value stocks are selected using the fundamental value investment discipline of the Investment Manager's Bernstein Unit. In selecting stocks, the Investment Manager's value investment teams seek to identify companies whose long-term earning power and dividend paying capability are not reflected in the current market price of their securities. This fundamental value discipline relies heavily upon the Investment Manager's large internal value research staff, which follows over 2,700 companies. Teams within the value research staff cover a given industry worldwide, to better understand each company's competitive position in a global context. The Investment Manager's staff of approximately 70 dedicated value analysts prepares its own earnings estimates and financial models for each company analyzed. The Investment Manager identifies and quantifies the critical variables that control a business's performance and analyzes the results in order to forecast each company's long-term prospects and expected returns. The "Value" investment discipline attempts to identify securities that are undervalued using a disciplined fundamental value approach. The Investment Manager believes that, over time, a company's stock price will come to reflect its intrinsic economic value. The Investment Manager's fundamental value approach to equity investing generally defines value by reference to the relationship between a security's current price and its intrinsic economic value as measured by long-term earnings prospects. In each market, this approach seeks to identify a universe of securities that are considered to be undervalued because they are attractively priced relative to their future earnings power. Accordingly, forecasting corporate earnings and dividend-paying capability is the heart of the fundamental approach. Securities of companies in any industry, country or region can become mispriced, and the Investment Manager will seek to exploit all such opportunities when selecting securities for the Portfolio. Other Investment Policies The Portfolio is not subject to any limitation on the portion of its total assets that may be invested in any one country or region. The Portfolio intends to spread investment risk and expects to invest in equity securities of issuers domiciled in developed countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, the United States and the developed nations in pe and Asia. The Portfolio will be permitted to invest in securities of issuers domiciled, or with significant operations, in other countries, including emerging market countries. The Portfolio's investments in securities of issuers domiciled in emerging market countries are not expected to exceed 30% of the Portfolio's net assets. The Investment Manager, in its discretion, will determine which countries constitute "emerging market countries." In general, emerging market countries will be countries considered by the global financial community to be developing countries, including countries from time to time included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index SM, a free float-adjusted market capitalization index designed to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets. The Investment Manager's determination of which countries constitute emerging market countries may change from time to time. As a temporary defensive measure or to provide for redemptions, the Portfolio may, without limit, hold cash, cash equivalents, or short-term fixed-income obligations, including money market instruments. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its net assets in securities for which there is no ready market. See paragraph (5) of "Investment Restrictions" in Appendix A to Section II. The Portfolio may therefore not be readily able to sell such securities. Moreover, there may be contractual restrictions on the resale of such securities. Efficient portfolio management and hedging techniques may include use of exchange-traded and OTC derivative instruments, including swaps, options, futures and currency transactions. I-6